Heat dissipation device

ABSTRACT

An exemplary heat dissipation device includes a fan, a fin unit, and a mounting frame connected the fan and the fin unit together. The fan includes a casing and an impeller received in the casing. The casing defines an air outlet at one side thereof. The fin unit is arranged at the air outlet of the fan. The mounting frame connects the fan and the fin unit together. The mounting frame includes a supporting member for supporting the fan thereon and a connecting member substantially covering three sides of the fin unit and connected to the supporting member. The fan is pivotably connected to the mounting frame.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The disclosure generally relates to device cooling, and moreparticularly to a heat dissipation device incorporating a mounting framefor assembling a fin unit and a fan together before the heat dissipationdevice is attached to a heat-generating component.

2. Description of Related Art

As a result of the higher frequencies and faster operation of modernelectronic components, the amount of heat generated by such componentsis commensurately high. If the heat generated in a modern electronicdevice is not quickly dissipated, the components may overheat, and theoperation and stability of the electronic device may be adverselyaffected.

In order to remove heat from heat-generating components, heatdissipation devices are often provided. A typical heat dissipationdevice includes a fan, a fin unit, a heat pipe, and a heat absorptionplate. The heat absorption plate contacts a heat-generating component toabsorb heat generated therefrom. The fan is arranged away from theheat-generating component, and the fin unit is mounted at an air outletof the fan. The heat pipe is thermally connected between the heatabsorption plate and the fin unit, for the timely transfer of heat fromthe heat absorption plate to the fin unit for dissipation.

When the heat dissipation device is attached to the heat-generatingcomponent, each of the heat absorption plate, the fan and the fin unitneeds to be fixed to predetermined positions of the electronic deviceone by one. This makes assembly and installation of the heat dissipationdevice complicated. In addition, different locking devices and a numberof fasteners are needed for respectively mounting the heat absorptionplate, the fan, and the fin unit in the electronic device. Thus, theheat dissipation device has a large size and occupies a large internalspace of the electronic device. This runs against the trend to makelightweight and miniaturized electronic devices.

What is desired, therefore, is a heat dissipation device which canovercome the described limitations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric, partially exploded view of a heat dissipationdevice according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure,wherein the heat dissipation device includes a fan, a mounting frame anda fin unit.

FIG. 2 is an assembled view of the heat dissipation device of FIG. 1,wherein the fan is rotatably connected the mounting frame and free topivot.

FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 2, but showing the fan fixed in position onthe mounting frame.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made to the figures to describe the present heatdissipation device in detail.

Referring to FIG. 1, a heat dissipation device 100 according to anexemplary embodiment of the present disclosure includes a fin unit 10, afan 20, a heat absorption plate 30, a mounting frame 40 and three heatpipes 50.

Each of the heat pipes 50 is substantially U-shaped, and includes anevaporating section 51, a condensing section 52 substantially parallelto the evaporating section 51 and an adiabatic section 53 connectedbetween the evaporating section 51 and the condensing section 52. Theheat pipes 50 have round cross-sections, except that the evaporatingsections 51 of the heat pipes 50 are flattened somewhat. In alternativeembodiments, the number of heat pipes 50 can vary according to differentrequirements.

The fin unit 10 includes a number of plated fins 11 stacked together.The fin unit 10 overall is rectangular shaped, and defines three throughholes 13 for respectively receiving the condensing sections 52 of theheat pipes 50. Each of the through holes 13 extends horizontally along alength of the series of fins 11. An elongated cutout 15 is defined in abottom end of the fin unit 10. The cutout 15 extends horizontally alongthe length of the series of fins 11, and is parallel to the throughholes 13.

The fan 20 is a centrifugal fan, and includes a casing 22 and animpeller 24 received in the casing 22. The casing 22 includes a bottomplate 221, an opposite top plate 222 and a volute side plate 223connected between the bottom plate 221 and the top plate 222. The bottomplate 221, the top plate 222 and the side plate 223 cooperatively definea space (not shown) receiving the impeller 24. Each of the bottom plate221 and the top plate 222 defines an air inlet 23 at a central portionthereof. A substantially rectangular air outlet 25 is defined in oneside of the side plate 223. Two pivot pins 26 extend perpendicularlyoutward in opposite directions from a top end of the side plate 223 attwo opposite sides of the air outlet 25, respectively. A mounting tab 27extends outward from one end of the bottom plate 221 that is far awayfrom the air outlet 25. The mounting tab 27 defines a mounting hole 270in a central portion thereof.

The mounting frame 40 includes a supporting member 42 and a connectingmember 43. The supporting member 42 includes a substantially rectangularheat absorption plate 421, four mounting arms 422 extending outward fromfour corners of the heat absorption plate 421, and a supporting arm 425connected between two neighboring mounting arms 422. Each of themounting arms 422 defines a circular hole 420 at a distal end thereof.The supporting arm 425 is U-shaped, and includes two first bar frames423 respectively extended from the two mounting arms 422, and a secondbar frame 424 connected between distal ends of the first bar frames 423.A distance between the two first bar frames 423 is slightly smaller thana width of the fan 20. The second bar frame 424 is longer than the airoutlet 25 of the fan 20. The second bar frame 424 defines two locatingholes 426 at two opposite ends thereof.

A mounting ring 427 extends upward from a top surface of the heatabsorption plate 421. The mounting ring 427 defines a central hole 428along an axis thereof. A recess 429 is defined in a bottom surface ofthe heat absorption plate 421 for receiving the evaporating sections 52of the heat pipes 50 therein. A depth of the recess 429 is substantiallyequal to a thickness of each of the evaporating sections 52, and a widthof the recess 429 is substantially equal to a sum of the widths of theevaporating sections 52 of the three heat pipes 50. Thus, theevaporating sections 52 of the heat pipes 50 can be embedded in therecess 429 of the heat absorption plate 421 side by side, with bottomsides of the heat pipes 50 coplanar with the bottom surface of the heatabsorption plate 421.

The connecting member 43 overall is U-shaped, and includes an elongatedhorizontal wall 431, two vertical walls 432 respectively extendingdownward from two opposite ends of the horizontal wall 431, two flanges436 respectively extending aslant from rear sides of the vertical walls432, and two tabs 435 respectively extending horizontally outwardly frombottom ends of the vertical walls 432. The horizontal wall 431 has awidth substantially equal to that of the fin unit 10. Each of thevertical walls 432 has height substantially equal to that of the finunit 10, and defines three retaining holes 430 corresponding to thethree through holes 13 of the fin unit 10. The horizontal wall 431 andthe vertical walls 432 cooperatively define a receiving room forreceiving the fin unit 10 therein. A pivot hole 437 is defined in a topend of each of the vertical walls 432. The pivot holes 437 respectivelycorrespond to the pivot pins 26 of the fan 20. The two flanges 436extend divergently from the vertical walls 432, such that a front of thefan 20 can easily be installed into the connecting member 43 when thefront of the fan 20 passes between the two flanges 436. Once the frontof the fan 20 is received in the connecting member 43, the pivot pins 26are aligned with and become movably engaged in the pivot holes 437. Eachof the tabs 439 defines a mounting hole 439 therein.

Referring to FIG. 2, before the heat dissipation device 100 is assembledto an electronic device, the fan 20, the fin unit 10 and the heat pipes50 are assembled together by the mounting frame 40. The fin unit 10 isarranged on the supporting member 42, with the second bar frame 425 ofthe supporting arm 42 received in the cutout 15 of the fin unit 10. Theconnecting member 43 abuttingly covers the fin unit 10, wherein thehorizontal wall 431 abuts a top surface of the fin unit 10. The verticalwalls 432 respectively abut two outmost fins 11 of the fin unit 10, andthe mounting holes 439 of the two tabs 439 are respectively aligned withthe locating holes 426 of the second bar frame 424. Two fasteners 45extend through the mounting holes 439 and screw onto the locating holes426, to connect the connecting member 43 and the supporting member 42together. Thus, the fin unit 10 is fixed on the supporting member 42with the connecting member 43.

Each of the heat pipes 50 is connected between the heat absorption plate421 and the fin unit 10. In particular, the condensation section 51 ofeach heat pipe 50 extends through corresponding retaining holes 430 isinterference fitted in a corresponding through hole 13, and theevaporating section 52 is interference fitted in the recess 429.Alternatively, solder can be added between the condensation sections 51of the heat pipes 50 and the fin unit 10, and/or between the evaporatingsections 52 of the heat pipes 50 and the heat absorption plate 421, toaffix the heat pipes 50, the fin unit 10, and the mounting frame 40together.

The fan 20 is then arranged on the supporting arm 425, with the airoutlet 25 adjacent to the fin unit 10. The bottom plate 221 of the fan20 is supported by the first bar frames 423 of the supporting arm 425.The pivot pins 26 of the fan 20 are pivotably received in the pivotholes 437 of the vertical walls 432 of the connecting member 43,respectively, such that the fan 20 is movably assembled to the mountingframe 40. In this condition, the fan 20 is rotatable between a firststate where the mounting tab 27 is spaced apart from the mounting ring427 (FIG. 2) and a second state where the mounting tab 27 contacts themounting ring 427 (FIG. 3). When the fan 20 is in the first state, thefirst bar frames 423 and the two corresponding mounting arms 422 areexposed. When the fan 20 is in the second state, the fan 20 covers thefirst bar frames 423 and the two mounting arms 422, and the mountinghole 270 is aligned with the central hole 428.

When the heat dissipation device 100 is fixed in an electronic devicefor dissipating heat from a heat-generating component 30 received in theelectronic device, the evaporating sections 52 of the heat pipes 50 andthe bottom surface of the heat absorption plate 421 directly contact theheat-generating component 30. The fan 20 is first rotated upward to thefirst state to expose the two mounting arms 422 which connect thesupporting arm 425. A number of fasteners 45 are respectively extendedthrough the circular holes 420 of the mounting arms 422, and are furtherscrewed onto a printed circuit board that supports the heat-generatingcomponent 30 thereon. Thereby, the mounting frame 40 is fixed on theheat-generating component 30. Then the fan 20 is rotated downward to thesecond state, with the mounting hole 270 becoming aligned with thecentral hole 428 of the mounting ring 427. An elastic mounting element46 is extended through the mounting hole 270 of the mounting tab 27 andscrewed into the central hole 428 of the mounting ring 427, to fix thefan 20 on the mounting frame 40.

In the present heat dissipation device 100, the fan 20, the fin unit 10and the heat pipes 30 are assembled together with the mounting frame 40before the heat dissipation device 100 is attached to theheat-generating component 30. Thus, extra locking devices forrespectively mounting the fan 30 and the fin unit 10 in predeterminedpositions of the electronic device are not needed. This reduces amanufacturing cost of the heat dissipation device 100, and allowsassembly of the fin unit 10 and the fan 20 to be simple and convenient.In addition, the fan 20 pivotably connects to the mounting frame 40before the heat dissipation device 100 is attached to theheat-generating component 30. Therefore the fan 20 can first be rotatedupward for mounting the mounting arms 422 on the printed circuit boardconveniently, and then rotated downward to overlap the supporting arm425 and the two mounting arms 422 that connect the supporting arm 422.With this configuration and arrangement, a total size of the heatdissipation device 100 can be smaller. Therefore, the heat dissipationdevice 100 is suitable for lightweight and miniaturized electronicdevices.

It is to be understood, however, that even though numerouscharacteristics and advantages of the embodiments have been set forth inthe foregoing description, together with details of the structures andfunctions of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only, andchanges may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, andarrangement of parts within the principles of the disclosure to the fullextent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which theappended claims are expressed.

1. A heat dissipation device, comprising: a fan comprising a casing andan impeller received in the casing, the casing defining an air outlet atone side thereof; a fin unit arranged at the air outlet of the fan; anda mounting frame connected the fan and the fin unit together, themounting frame comprising a supporting member for supporting the fanthereon and a connecting member substantially covering three sides ofthe fin unit and connected to the supporting member, the fan pivotablyconnected to the mounting frame.
 2. The heat dissipation device of claim1, wherein one of the fan and the mounting frame comprises a pluralityof pivot pins thereof, and the other one of the fan and mounting framedefines a plurality of pivot holes corresponding to the pivot pinstherein.
 3. The heat dissipation device of claim 2, wherein the pivotpins extend outward from the casing, and the pivot holes are defined inthe connecting member.
 4. The heat dissipation device of claim 3,wherein the connecting member comprises two vertical walls abutting twoopposite sides of the fin unit, the pivot pins comprising two in numberand arranged at two opposite sides of the air outlet, respectively, thepivot holes being defined in the vertical walls, respectively.
 5. Theheat dissipation device of claim 4, wherein a plurality of tabs dependoutward from the vertical walls and connect the supporting member. 6.The heat dissipation device of claim 3, wherein the connecting memberfurther comprises a horizontal wall connected between the vertical wallsand abutting another side of the fin unit.
 7. The heat dissipationdevice of claim 3, wherein the fan comprises a mounting tab extendingoutward from one end of the casing that is far way from the air outlet,the mounting tab being configured to connect the supporting member. 8.The heat dissipation device of claim 1, wherein the supporting membercomprises a heat absorption plate, a plurality of mounting armsextending outward from the heat absorption plate and a supporting armconnected two of the mounting arms, the fan being arranged on thesupporting arm, one side of the fan that is far away from the pivot pinsconnected the supporting member.
 9. The heat dissipation device of claim8, wherein the supporting arm comprises two first bar frames extendingoutward from the two of the mounting arms, respectively, and a secondbar frame connected between the first bar frames, the connecting memberconnected the second bar frame.
 10. The heat dissipation device of claim9, wherein the fin unit defines a cutout in a bottom end thereof forreceiving a part of the second bar frame therein.
 11. The heatdissipation device of claim 8, wherein the fan comprises a mounting tabextending outward from one end of the casing that is far away from theair outlet, the mounting tab defining a mounting hole therein, a centralhole corresponding to the mounting hole being defined in the heatabsorption plate.
 12. The heat dissipation device of claim 8, furthercomprising a plurality of heat pipes each having one end connected thefin unit and another end received in a recess which is defined in abottom surface of the heat absorption plate.
 13. A heat dissipationdevice, comprising: a fan comprising a casing and an impeller receivedin the casing, the casing defining an air outlet at a first side thereofand comprising a mounting tab at a second side thereof opposite to thefirst side; a fin unit arranged at the air outlet of the fan; and amounting frame connecting the fan and the fin unit together, themounting frame comprising a supporting member for supporting the fanthereon and a connecting member substantially covering three sides ofthe fin unit and connected to the supporting member; wherein one of thefan and the mounting frame comprises a plurality of pivot pins thereof,and the other one of the fan and mounting frame defines a plurality ofpivot holes corresponding to the pivot pins therein, the fan beingrotatable between a first state where the mounting tab is spaced apartfrom the supporting member and a second state where the mounting tabsubstantially abuts the supporting member.
 14. The heat dissipationdevice of claim 13, wherein the connecting member comprises two verticalwalls abutting two opposite sides of the fin unit, the pivot pinscomprising two in number and arranged at two opposite sides of the airoutlet, respectively, the pivot holes being defined in the verticalwalls, respectively.
 15. The heat dissipation device of claim 14,wherein a plurality of tabs depend outward from the vertical walls andconnect the supporting member.
 16. The heat dissipation device of claim14, wherein the connecting member further comprises a horizontal wallconnected between the vertical walls and abutting another side of thefin unit.
 17. The heat dissipation device of claim 13, wherein thesupporting member comprises a heat absorption plate, a plurality ofmounting arms extending outward from the heat absorption plate and asupporting arm connected two of the mounting arms, the fan beingarranged on the supporting arm, the mounting tab being configured toconnect the heat absorption plate.
 18. The heat dissipation device ofclaim 17, wherein the mounting tab defines a mounting hole therein, acentral hole corresponding to the mounting hole being defined in theheat absorption plate.
 19. The heat dissipation device of claim 17,wherein the supporting arm comprises two first bar frames extendingoutward from the two of the mounting arms, respectively, and a secondbar frame connected between the first bar frames, the connecting memberconnected the second bar frame.
 20. The heat dissipation device of claim19, wherein the fin unit comprises a plurality of fins stacked togetherand defines a cutout in a bottom end thereof for receiving a part of thesecond bar frame therein, the cutout extending horizontally along alength of the series of fins.